Synopses & Reviews
The people of China are changing the face of their country with tremendous tenacity and often with their bare hands. Sometimes it seems as if not a single plot of ground remains unturned or unproductive. The changes are so rapid and so prolific that the photographer finds himself constantly a step behind, chasing memories. The ancient rhythms of China, once thought to be eternal, are being muffled as the country begins to look more and more like everywhere else in the new Asia. Change is a constant in China that provokes mixed feelings in photographer James Delano. The light, muted by the ever-present coal smoke, possesses a certain softness; people's faces are smudged, their eyes hungry and ambitious. This generation may be rough around the edges, but they are on the way up, sacrificing for their children and grandchildren; they are nation-building. No matter how much China transforms itself, a certain degree of 'Chineseness' will always remain. The question is, how much? For Delano, immersing him
Synopsis
Presents 70 duotone images of changing China by American photographer James Delano.
About the Author
James Whitlow Delano is a photographer who has contributed to
Harper's,
Interview,
Outside,
Time, and
Travel & Leisure. He is the recipient of the 2000 Alfred Eisenstaedt Award.
Orville Schell is the dean of the school of journalism of the University of California–Berkeley. He is the author of
Virtual Tibet and the editor of
The China Reader. He lives in Berkeley, California. Colin Jacobson heads the MA photography program at Falmouth College of Arts, Cornwall. He has written widely on contemporary photography.